Gatwick Airport in the 1980s – When British Rail Met the Jet Age!

Gatwick Airport in the 1980s – When British Rail Met the Jet Age!

Step back to the 1980s and experience Gatwick Airport railway station during the fascinating days of British Rail!

Sitting on the busy Brighton Main Line, Gatwick Airport was unlike almost any other railway station in Britain. Here, trains and aircraft came together as thousands of holidaymakers travelled between London, the South Coast and one of Britain's busiest airports.

In this video, we explore Gatwick Airport station during the 1980s, looking at the many services passing through and the wonderful variety of rolling stock that could be seen.

We'll remember the Southern Region's famous slam-door electric trains, including 4-VEPs and 4-CIGs, alongside one of the great railway sights of the decade – the Class 73 hauled Gatwick Express.

From 1984, the Gatwick Express became one of British Rail's most distinctive airport services, connecting London Victoria with Gatwick and creating a wonderful combination of locomotives, coaching stock, holidaymakers and aircraft.

But what was Gatwick Airport station really like in the 1980s?

Was it as dark, gloomy and grubby as some other British Rail stations of the period? How much has the station changed since then? And if you travelled through Gatwick in 1985, would you still recognise it today?

Join us as we compare Gatwick Airport then and now and remember an era of British Rail blue and grey, Network SouthEast, slam-door trains, Class 73s, guards' whistles and that unmistakable atmosphere of Britain's railway in the 1980s.

Do you remember travelling through Gatwick Airport during this period? Did you travel aboard the old Gatwick Express? And do you miss British Rail?

Let us know your memories in the comments below.

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